Advertorial
SCIENTIFIC
THINKING
SKILLS: SKILLS:
SCIENTIFIC
THINKING
HIGHWAY
TO TO
A BETTER
FUTURE FUTURE
HIGHWAY
A BETTER
Our contemporary society is going through groundbreaking
changes. We are living extraordinary times from at least
two viewpoints: never before has the climate warmed as
quickly as it does now, never before have we had so much
plastic in the oceans that it compares to a size of a
continent and never before have species been wiped
extinct in such vast numbers; on the other hand, access to
knowledge has never been as open as it is now. However,
there is a flipside to that coin: whereas access to
knowledge is wide open for everyone, there is also access
for anyone to publish anything for a multitude of different
purposes. These issues force us to reimagine what skills and
knowledge children will need to cope in the future.
Science and technology strongly drive the change in our
society. Not only will we need more people who strive
towards science and technology-related careers, but more
importantly, we will need remarkably more people who are
able to think scientifically and to back up their daily
decisions with scientific knowledge. Science is inevitably
present in our everyday lives and therefore empowering
people to participate in science-related discussions and to
understand the consequences of their own actions is a high
priority. To make that happen, we will need to teach
children how to think scientifically and critically.
When we look at the research, scholars are unanimous
with the fact that science and scientific thinking need to
be introduced to children already in their early years.
Early science education promotes children’s self-
competence, motivation, and interest in science.
Furthermore, early science instruction yields better
learning outcomes later in school. However, not all types
of early science instruction are effective for young
children. Early science education requires remarkably
different pedagogical approaches than what are usually
implemented with school-aged children.
" CHILDREN
BENEFIT FROM
PLAY-BASED
SCIENCE
INSTRUCTION. "
Children benefit from play-based science instruction.
Playing is a fundamental way for children to practice a
variety of skills, such as social, emotional and everyday
skills. According to research, playing is a highly effective
way to teach young children science as well. Through
play, children will be able to relate scientific concepts
and practices to their cultural worlds and therefore,
make science relevant for themselves. By playing,
children are able to embrace the practices that are
essential for the scientific process.